Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk on what has gone wrong since Christmas as Owls slump continues

A post-Christmas hangover has seen the Owls go 432 minutes without scoring at Hillsborough and slide out of play-off contention.

Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Reading saw several thousand supporters leave the ground early – Wednesday have now taken just five points from the last 30 available.

Asked what he believes is the reason for their spiralling form, Monk said: “There are a few reasons. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. I’ve said from the start that this is a big job.

“I’ve talked about change and what needs to happen and the bigger picture side of it going forward. My aim since I came in here, and still is, is to get to the point that I can physically affect that change.

“But in the meantime I’m fully aware that you need to get results to get that opportunity. In this period we’ve not got the results that the team needs.”

Monk has tried a number of different systems in recent weeks and made four changes to the side ahead of Saturday’s defeat.

He admitted life was difficult at the club at current but suggested a positive result in next weekend’s trip to his former club Birmingham could signal a change in fortunes.

“It’s very difficult,” he said. “I’ve tried different things, you’ve seen that. I will always be positive with them and try to bring that encouragement and try to give them that confidence and I’ve also been very hard with them.

“I’ve tried everything as well in terms of personnel but we just can’t seem to break that cycle.

“What we need is for that one result to go for us, whether that’s a scrappy, dogged win or a good win, whatever it may be, we need that to signal change for the cycle that we’re in.

“We’re not at the levels that you need to really hammer that home.”